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A First…A Challenge…and the Beauty of Teamwork!

I have either lost my mind, or I am just really pushing myself out of my comfort zone, but in August I will be attempting a crazy challenge! I am going to attempt a Rough Terrain 5K Race with about 25 obstacles that we will have to go through.

So, how do I climb walls, do monkey bars, crawl through mud, wheel through rough, uneven terrain, hang from ropes, traverse vertical walls and who knows what else?

My team.

I have an amazing group of teens (two of my own) and friends who are taking me through this course. One of my friends does these SpartanV like races quite often and has some obstacles that she has built in her back yard. This past Saturday, our team met for the first time to go through the course together and see how this was going to happen.

The very first obstacle we came to was a simple rope hanging from one tree to the next. You are supposed to grab the rope with your hands, and then loop your legs up and over the rope and then pull yourself from one side to the next.

As we sat there looking at that rope…that very first obstacle of so many more…I looked at my team and thought they were all crazy. What had we gotten into?! There was NO way this girl was going to be looping her legs over any rope. Suddenly, a plan had been hatched and everyone had a part.

I grabbed the rope above my head, one person grabbed around me and lifted me out of my chair, while another person grabbed my legs and lifted them up, someone grabbed my chair out of the way and then a friend was bent down underneath me and my back was laying on her back as my team literally held me up and kept me stable as I worked my way down that rope.

We spent the next couple hours, obstacle by obstacle, completing that back yard course. Each obstacle we faced, we strategized, everyone got in their place to do their job and they got me safely over and through every obstacle.

By the end, we were all exhausted and so excited! I cannot explain the emotion that filled me. Watching those I love, and who love me, taking such great care and personal sacrifice to help me get through each obstacle was extremely moving.

As I have thought on this, I think this is such a beautiful picture of how we humans ought to be with each other. Each marriage…each family…each friendship…each co-worker…every single relationship…should look like this.

We all face obstacles and many stand on the sidelines and offer advice. Plenty are willing to tell you how crazy you are and ask why you would even keep trying, yet wouldn’t it be amazing if everyone just jumped in to help each other in life face things they just cannot do on their own?

Let me tell ya, I felt VERY needy out there on that course and we are just on the training one! It can be a pretty big hit on the pride to be so incapable and my friends having to come along and literally support every part of me. It really magnifies some major weaknesses on my part! I could dwell on that, or I can dwell on the amazing blessing I am receiving from them. They are helping me accomplish something to big for me.

As we all attempted the obstacles (they also have to do the obstacle themselves), there was a lot of clapping and cheering each other on. There was a lot of everyone helping each other. I loved when they could stand on my chair to help them get over their obstacles! I felt like I was helping them back!

You know, it isn’t easy. It requires effort. It requires a lot of thought. And many of us came out of that in some pain. But it would have been impossible alone.

We have a lot more work to do before August and I am looking forward to each session. Not just to meet a crazy goal of attempting something out of my comfort zone, but to have a real life object lesson of the beauty of teamwork and all you can accomplish when you can support one another and let all of our strengths and weaknesses work together for a much greater good!

A Little About Me

In March of 2009, while expecting my 6th baby, I contracted Transverse Myelitis - a rare illness that left me paralyzed from my ribs down. It has changed my life in many horrible and wonderful ways. I love to talk about it all. The good, the bad and the ugly.

It is always raw and real around here as I share my work in advocacy and accessibility, my heart for the spiritual lessons learned, music that speaks my soul, and my love for my home and family.

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Can I Help?

Have you heard that Moody Publishers is in the process of re-releasing their much-beloved Everyman’s Bible Commentary series? I’m a pastor who has a warm spot in my heart for this series. As a younger Christian, and in my earlier days of teaching a Sunday school class, I built my collection of the entire set. … Continue reading A Great Commentary Series For […]

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